While the Autumn Budget will be taking all the headlines for the next couple of weeks, there’s been some other interesting and important news this month that could directly impact you and your clients.
We’d hate for it to get lost in the rush so we’ve pulled it all together for you here in one handy, readable blog!
Because there’s so much news these days, we have a regular weekly catch-up of all the other business and insolvency news stories from the past seven days that you might want to know more about or that slipped by at first sight.
And no matter what else happens in the rest of 2025, our Accounts Hub remains active so you’ll be able to access the most important and timely insolvency information whenever you need it.
We’re always keen to hear what you think so please email us at ask@businessrescueexpert.co.uk because we really want to write what you really want to read!
ID Verification for Directors at Companies House is here
The new Companies House ID Verification went live on November 18th for new directors, persons of significant control and members of limited liability partnerships.
Existing directors have until November 2026 to complete the process but there are more changes to come that you and your clients need to consider to avoid any inadvertent transgressions.
As well as Companies House themselves, other Authorised Corporate Service Providers (ACSPs) can verify directors identifications if they use one of the following approved methods:
- Biometric passports (from any country)
- UK photo driving licence (full or provisional)
- UK biometric residence permit (BRP)
- UK biometric residence card (BRC)
- UK Frontier Worker permit (FWP)
Along with these forms of ID, they will need to supply their current address, the year they moved in and a gov.uk One Login account.
There are other methods to provide verification including the gov.uk website itself and certain Post Office branches will offer in-branch certification although both also require additional evidence including utility bills.
Any director that has not had their identity verified by the end of the transition period will not be able to operate as a Director or PSC or be able to file with Companies House until their details have been verified. If they continue to operate unverified then they will be liable to fines and penalties.
Companies House fee changes
Quite coincidentally, Companies House have announced that several of their fees will be increasing from February 1st 2026.
The main announced changes are digital incorporation fees doubling from £50 to £100; the digital confirmation statement filing fee increasing from £34 to £50 although the digital voluntary strike-off fee is decreasing from £33 to £13.
Interestingly, the registration fee for companies wishing to register as authorised corporate service providers (ACSPs) is also increasing from £55 to £63.
Companies House emphasised that its work is aimed at “creating a transparent marketplace that boosts economic confidence and disrupts economic crime” with the fees being raised as a necessary component to achieve this.
They intend to use the additional income from these fees to “incorporate companies and to publish accessible company information worth billions to the UK economy.
“Our new and enhanced powers under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency (ECCT) Act enable us to query and remove false and misleading information from our registers. We’re building a more trustworthy environment for consumers and legitimate businesses.”
Which was also the same reason given the last time fees were changed.
“We also use income from our fees to fund The Insolvency Service’s company investigation and enforcement activity. The Insolvency Service has wide-ranging enforcement powers, which can be deployed to wind up companies, disqualify directors and prosecute those suspected of fraud, financial wrongdoing and other company offences.
“We want to do even more to make sure the UK remains one of the best places in the world to start and grow a business.”
SME’s missing out on NICs relief
Many SMEs could be missing out on up to £10,500 relief on their National Insurance contributions (NICs) by failing to claim their full Employment Allowance following a recent change to the rules.
Larger businesses have been able to claim the full Employment Allowance since April when the cap preventing employers with over £100,000 in NI liabilities from claiming was removed.
The announcement was made in October 2024, in advance of the change for this 2025/26 tax year. Together with the fact that larger employers have always been ineligible due to the NIC liability cap, many firms may just simply overlook the new Employment Allowance rules.
The Employment Allowance can be claimed through payroll software or via HMRC but eligibility rules still apply, particularly for businesses with connected companies.
Under HMRC guidance, only one company within a group of connected companies can claim the allowance. This applied even if the companies cease to be connected during the tax year.
If any of your clients are in doubt about whether they’re eligible or not – or if they’re unaware of the allowance then we’re sure you’ll be able to let them know.
Fraud whistleblower rewards proposed
HMRC is going to launch a new US-style, whistleblowers incentive programme which offers significant financial rewards to those who report large-scale tax fraud. Informants could receive up to 30% of taxes collected as a result of their tips with further details expected to be announced in the Autumn Budget.
The initiative is part of the Chancellor’s efforts to fill a fiscal hole estimated at between £20 and £30 billion. The government loses approximately £47 billion a year from unpaid taxes with tax evasion alone costing an estimated £5.5 billion in 2022/23 alone.
The Treasury explicitly stated in March that it would “take inspiration” from successful US and Canadian models with HMRC official meeting counterparts in US agencies including the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Since 2007, the IRS version of the scheme which also offers between 15% and 30% to whistleblowers recovered approximately £5.6 billion ($7.4 billion) with £1 billion ($1.3 billion) awarded to whistleblowers.
Existing UK incentive schemes including one at HMRC have paid out less than £1 million in 2023/24. The new programme will run in parallel with the old one but will target higher-value tax fraud.
ICAS teams up with Open University to improve access to accountancy
The UK’s largest distance learning provider – The Open University – has signed a partnership with ICAS to create flexible access into the accountancy profession with an accredited route to the Chartered Accountant (CA) qualification.
The partnership sees ICAS accredit the OU’s BSc Accounting and Finance degree making it the first time a distance learning programme has been formally recognised by the professional body.
The move provides a new, flexible route into the qualification and is open to learners in the UK and abroad providing a strong grounding in accounting and finance within a business and societal context while covering specialist areas including auditing, governance, law, taxation and financial reporting.
Graduates can gain up to five exemptions from the first stage of the CA qualification through the ICAS Accredited Programme, helping students qualify as a CA faster.
Dr Karin Shields, senior lecturer in accounting at The Open University, said: “We’re proud that our BSc Accounting and Finance degree is accredited by ICAS, recognising the high standards and professional relevance of our programme. This accreditation offers our students valuable exemptions and a clear pathway toward becoming Chartered Accountants, enhancing their career prospects.”
How to spot an AI generated receipt
While doctoring receipts to commit expenses fraud is not a new concept, the preponderance of AI tools means that it’s never been easier to fabricate convincing expenses in seconds which could ultimately cost firms including your clients millions.
According to a report in the Financial Times in October, the launch of OpenAI’s GPT-4o model last year coincided with a sharp rise in falsified receipts. They reported that software provider AppZen reported fake AI receipts accounted for 14% of all fraudulent documents submitted in September 2025 compared with zero the year before. Additionally Fintech group Ramp’s software flagged more than £750,000 in AI generated fraudulent invoices within 90 days.
Arun Chauhan, Director and Founder of Tenet Law and board member of the Business Fraud Alliance said: “Fraudsters are using generative AI to produce fake documents such as pay slips, tax forms, receipts, invoices and bank statements which are then submitted to third parties for reimbursement or financial gain. They are now so realistic that they can be very difficult to detect.”
AI doesn’t just generate plausible text and images, it can even generate the texture of thermal paper, simulate creases and even reproduce the blur of a camera phone.
Ian Pay, head of data analytics and tech at ICAEW believes that the AI tools that enable fraud are also adept at stopping it. He said: “There’s increasing adoption of AI to be able to detect AI. It is often quite good at identifying imperceptible patterns in the way an image has been created.
“If you know what to look for, AI generated receipts are still fairly easy to spot. Do they include all the usual information, dates, VAT numbers, store numbers? Do they look too perfect? Even when AI adds wear and tear, it often does so uniformly. Real receipts have quirks, smudges and folds that are hard to replicate.”
Ultimately fraud prevention depends on combining automation with human intelligence. AI can detect anomalies at scale but people can interpret them with context and experience.
Ian Pay said: “You’re only really in trouble if your organisation has a culture of waving through claims. AI receipts could be a problem but systems for proper review should have been in place anyway. I’ve yet to see an AI-generated receipt that would genuinely fool me.”